It's Mari-time!

I couldn't resist.

Bags packed (record turnaround of arriving home from the Outer Banks at 2AM, sleeping, doing laundry, packing, showering and ready and antsy to get going). Totally stoked to be traveling with the amazing JACK again. Canada and the Lighthouse Challenges (though one lacked a vowel) have been really great experiences and I'm thrilled to be spending a few days straight with some of the best girls I know.


Things I'm most excited for, in no real order--

• Spending time together. It's been hard with Amanda living a state or two away, me being all over the place, grad schools and various other challenges. I'm really thankful that Jamie and Katie live so close but it can be challenging to coordinate.
• New Brunswick. I thought it would be hilarious whilst attending school in New Brunswick, NJ, to say "Hey, going to New Brunswick for the weekend!" and leaving the country. That never happened, but I'm still amused.
• Seeing stuff I learned in college in real life. Thanks Dawn Bowen.
• Finding a moose. It's going to happen.
• Seeing the joy on Katie's face as we stop at some of the big things in eastern Canada!
• Helping Jamie rack up some miles on her new car.
• Seeing Amanda for more than a day!
• CANADA!
• EVERYTHING!!!

We'll be updating http://tinnybopper.livejournal.com, our blog from our first Canadian roadtrip, but I'll probably cross post/ update here for posterity, too. Yay!

on the road again

"You may ask yourself, 'Where does that highway go?!'" -Talking Heads (also covered by Josh Ritter)

I ask myself that all the time. When I drove home from Virginia last week, I wandered off the beaten path a little bit, trying out some county and state roads rather than the same old I-295. I had some time on my hands and needed a change of scenery. My original plan was to wind my way home whimsically through the Pine Barrens but then I realized I really, really needed to stop and use a bathroom and wasn't going to find one going that way, which is what brought me eventually to Cherry Hill and the western terminus of the road I usually take, Route 70. It was nice to see some farmland, barren as it is in February, and also to see that chunk of Route 70 that I'd never seen before.

However, tomorrow will probably not be one of those days in which I stray from the direct path, as I have a lot of travels to do. This is roughly my trajectory, although I'm already planning on taking sweet peaceful county roads to Princeton (it'll be 7.30 in the morning, I don't foresee that being a poor choice) and something more creative than the Turnpike to get to the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I like the way that route looks though, kind of like a fun roller coaster. Also, the first three stops are for camp related things, so that should be fun, especially since the third stop invited me to stay for dinner. I love the hospitality of the extended Johnsonburg family!

Why back to Virginia so soon? Because my amazing college roommate Brittany and I always said that if Josh Ritter and Joe Pug played a show together in one of our areas, we'd go. It was really just poor planning on my part that I'm going to see him twice in three weeks, but I enjoy Josh's music and I love love love Brittany's company. I have more crazy travels next weekend so decided to extend my trip into the days before the show, which will include catching up with some friends and also some sort of hiking adventure with the incredible Becky Trytten. All of this also serves as a good excuse to see that nice boy again. This week is going to be pretty awesome... assuming I finish this draft of that long paper today so I don't have to think about it... so I'm going to get back to that...

en route to the airport in 6 hours!

I think I've always been decent at packing for travel, but I think I just brought this to new heights. I managed to put all of my clothes (ALL! for TWO WEEKS!) into one standard sized carry on suitcase. My toiletries and over 40 pounds of donated supplies made it into the infamous black duffel bag. I have a backpack that has various important objects (passport, wallet, journal, etc.) but also enough space to carry a few things for the others I'm travelling with.

Tomorrow morning I'll meet the team at check-in, where we will each check at least one 50 pound bag of just supplies, plus our second 50 pound bag mixed with our own things and supplies, plus we're each carrying two carry ons that are a mix of our things and supplies. Probably 500 or more pounds of things to give away. This is so amazing.

I'm not entirely sure that I'll be able to update while I'm over there, but there is a chance I might be able to post a little something once or twice. Regardless, I can't wait to share my awesome experience with you when I get back! Thanks so so much for all of the well wishes and support.

I'll hop to it... later...

This little exchange happened on facebook around 2 this afternoon:

It made me giggle a little bit. It seems that my cousin's girlfriend does not know of my history of last minute packing (see here, here). I'll get started sometime after dinner. My friends Jamie and Bailey will be joining me as somewhat per tradition-- Jamie and I always seem to be over each other's houses as the other packs at the last minute for some major travels, but I think this is Bailey's first experience aiding in the procrastination/fun of that. My parents are taking me to the airport, leaving home about 6.30 AM for my 11.15 flight from JFK. I don't foresee a stellar night's sleep tonight anyway, since 1. I am already starting to fall victim to Christmas Eve syndrome with the excitement and all, and 2. I have over 15 hours to catch up on sleep as I fly from JFK to Johannesburg (and then a couple more from Joburg to Blantyre, Malawi). Something tells me this will all work out just fine!

my black duffel bag

I've had my black duffel bag for quite a while, at least eight years. This bag has been to Seattle, the United Kingdom, Johnsonburg (I think I first got the bag to take when I did the Leadership Training Program in 2002, actually, and then it's come with me every summer I've worked here), college, western Pennsylvania and the Eastern Shore, among other adventures. One of the zippers has been broken almost the entire time I have owned the bag. There's a collection of miscellaneous airline luggage and other identifying tags.


You can see the black duffel bag under my left leg. This is in Seattle-Tacoma Airport, shortly after I graduated from high school in 2004.

One week from today, that bag will be accompanying me to Malawi! This is an adventure I've wanted to go on for a long time, maybe not always specifically to Malawi, but somewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa to do some sort of positive work. Actually, I've probably been hoping for an adventure like this for about as long as I've owned this black duffel bag. My interest first came from learning songs from southern Africa in choir at church. In college, I focused most of my research projects on different issues affecting Africa. And now, I'm finally going to see what it's like for myself.

But today, that black duffel bag will be filled with the things I've had with me at camp this summer. I don't have much here with me-- mostly books, in fact. Johnsonburg is a pretty awesome place and it's always sad to leave. I'm glad I worked here again this summer after a few years away. If nothing else, spending time in the woods has been extremely calming. Working in the kitchen, the hardest question of my day was something like, which vegetables do I need to cut for the next meal? Has the trash been taken out? Do I need to brew another pot of coffee? which frees me to contemplate the more convoluted questions of my thesis. Have I finished that paper yet? No. And it's unlikely that it will be completely done before I leave next week. However, this summer has given me time to figure out the next few steps, which include teaching part time at Rutgers for another semester while finishing up the Masters and looking for more permanent work. And I have been able to get a lot of work done toward the thing in between hiking and swimming in the lake. Oh, and working in the kitchen. In about 24 hours, I'll be done here for the summer and I'll be loading that duffel bag into my car, to head home, do laundry, and start getting organized for Malawi and whatever follows.

#369: I'm gonna live so God can use me, anywhere, anytime.

In a dozen days, I leave for Blantyre, Malawi.

This morning was my commissioning service at church. People kept asking me if I'm nervous. To be perfectly honest: nope. That is not even remotely how I've been feeling.

SO EXCITED! That is how I am feeling!

The service was really, really wonderful. I was called up at the same time as all of the children, and I was commissioned during the super cute children's sermon. Our pastor basically gave a little geography lesson! "If I wanted to come visit you at your house, how would I find where you live?" she asked the children. "Google it!" replied one girl. Another kid noticed the globe and the atlas she was holding and suggested checking a map. Another kid caught on and recommended looking for streets on the globe. In my mind, I briefly wondered how to explain the differences in scale of a globe vs. the neighborhood maps in the county atlas, but Tory quickly moved on, explaining that we could use the globe to see where I'll be going in Africa. Then she got to the point, explaining the difference between using a map to find the way to places, versus trusting Christ as The Way to get places. Tory explained that I was once a small child sitting on the steps where they were sitting, and I grew up in the church and now trusting God to show me the way... in this case, the way to Malawi. She then invited the children to take part in the laying of hands along with our deacons, elders and pastoral staff. It was really sweet.

The laying of hands really moved me. There are always so many people who come forward! I really do believe it takes a village to raise somebody. My parents have done a really wonderful job, don't get me wrong, but I grew up at PCTR and was raised by a really large, amazing village. In fact, that village extends beyond my church-- I have countless family members, friends, teachers, bosses and coworkers to thank for helping me to get where I am today. It's true. And I like to think now, I'm part of the village, hopefully influencing my youth and campers and maybe even my peers or people older than I am in a positive way. I'm going to Malawi with Villages in Partnership to help deliver supplies donated by PCTR and the Allentown Presbyterian Church, and for two weeks work alongside the people we're helping. Hopefully I make a positive impact there, expanding this whole village thing to a more global system of positive influences.

A few months ago when our Outreach Commission chose today for my commissioning, I asked our Minister of Music if we could sing #369 (I'm Gonna Live So) instead of #525 (Here I Am, Lord-- the quintessential commissioning hymn). And we did. It was just a really beautiful morning, getting me even more excited about this trip and the work I'll be doing.

home again

Long, challenging trip home, but I arrived safely Thursday night.

Things I do actually miss about Mexico:

• Manzana Lift- I've never been a big soda drinker, but carbonated apple juice at the end of a long day of work? SO refreshing.
• Bugambilias- We've been over this.
• trying new foods straight off the tree/vine/plant/whatever- including, but not limited to pineapples, tamarinds, dog balls fruit, various types of oranges, coconut, guanabana, sugarcane, passionfruit...

There were plenty of other things I really enjoyed, but it's nice to be home. I had milk with dinner that night. I had Guinness last night. I've been to the beach. Life is good. I'm home for a week before heading out to a suburb of Pittsburgh to lead a large group of junior high kiddos on a housing repair mission trip.

Tree of the forever: the ugly ol' pitch pine, so near and dear to my heart!

No time like the present...

...to finish packing...

I leave in about an hour to pick up Irene, drive home, and be driven to Newark. Dad's kindly taken the day off to do that. He's not the only one I have to thank for helping keep things under control this week. Mom did most of my laundry (and somehow made my clothes brighter than they've been in ages, it's like magic!). Irene continually picked up the pieces of my overworked brain. The usual suspects met up for another upbeat Monday night. Katie and Jamie came over and scrutinized my exam, causing me to throw out a question and have that much less to grade. Cheryl and Gurzo kindly adopted my eggs and bread so I wouldn't have to throw them out. Tom reminded me not to die. The list goes on. Many others have offered laughter and encouragement, and I can't thank you enough.

So now, I just need to throw together my carry on, take out the garbage, and hit the road!

Swine? It's fine.

So, people have been concerned about this "swine flu".

Well, let me tell you, that is so last week.

But I've got Tamiflu and an enormous bottle of hand sanitizer, as per my doctor's instructions.

Really though, I'm more concerned about finishing grading my students' exams before I go on Friday morning!

rabid excitement!

As my trip to Mexico draws slightly nearer, we're beginning to discuss the details. I meet next Tuesday with Laura and my friend Irene, who is Laura's GA, who will be going to Mexico with us, who will be my partner in crime. Laura is from Colombia and Irene is from Venezuela, so at least I'll have help with the Spanish (funny how 9 years of German and a year of Mandarin won't be the least bit useful for this adventure).

In the meantime, in sharing my excitement about this trip with a few people, a biology teacher I sing in choir with at church reminded me to look into malaria medication. Oh yeah. I like to think that would have occurred to me without her suggestion, but it was a good suggestion anyway. The only other countries I've been to so far are not known for malaria, or really anything else in particular (except maybe Mad Cow?). I looked up some information on the CDC website, only to find that I need a few vaccinations in addition to malaria meds: Hepatitis A, rabies and typhoid.

This is just one of the things I need to address in the next six or fewer weeks before I go. We'll be hammering out some more specific details on Tuesday, but this trip is going down sometime in the next month and a half!

Español 101

Today, I went to Pennsylvania to my cousin's house to celebrate my uncle's 70th birthday. I always enjoy seeing my family, and it turns out that Kathie and her family aren't that far away from me here in Highland Park.

Upon my return home, I found that my roommate had put Post-It notes all over our kitchen and the contents of our refrigerator to teach me the Spanish words for things. She's Puerto Rican, so she's really excited for an excuse to teach me Spanish. Let's be honest, I probably would have picked up some eventually anyway, but this Mexico trip with the EDGY project is a pretty exciting reason to learn immediately!

exciting and edgy upcoming adventure!

This is pretty exciting news!

After a bit of panic about what courses to take this semester and what direction my thesis work might take, I landed a really sweet field research gig for a chunk of the summer. My advisor, Laura Schneider, had mentioned offhandedly in the past that she might be happy to bring me onto her research, the EDGY project in the southern Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. She looks at land use change, among other things, but a lot of the foundation work for the project includes biogeography and soil stuffs.

She needs someone to do some vegetation mapping for her this summer. She was going to hire someone down there, but then remembered that I might be having a panic attack about my thesis by now, and am interested in this sort of thing and have a small amount of experience in it, too. The conversation went thusly:

"Do you have a driver's license?"
"Yes."
"Can you drive stick shift?"
"YES!"
"Then we would really like you to come to Mexico with us."

Fully funded, at least three weeks of wandering around forests in the Southern Yucatan, near the borders of Guatemala and Belize, with Mayan ruins in the middle of the field site. I'll be driving a truck they have down there, exploring the area and what's growing in it (specifically looking for the bracken fern but making note of the other plantlife, too).

!!!

More to come in the months following. We'll talk more as the end of the semester draws nearer. Meanwhile, I'm going to continue to jump up and down a bit about this.

Christmas Eve!

It is like Christmas Eve up in here! We leave in about thirteen and a half hours!



... and between the two girls I've spoken to so far this evening and myself, 0% of us have packed yet.


I'm not sure if I have spent more energy in the past few weeks jumping up and down about this trip, or trying to keep myself from jumping up and down about this trip, but either way, we leave in the morning and I am stoked!

EDITED TO ADD: It is 11.37PM. I am mostly packed. I wanted to share with you that I think, hands down, the most important thing I am packing is my Field Guide to North American Tree Identification.

Also, maybe the directions. And clean socks. WE ARE LEAVING IN UNDER 10 HOURS!!!

Monday is so soon!

I finished all of our directions from hostel to hostel and to all of the random cool funky things we want to see, so I thought I'd share.

Our excellent adventure is going to look a little something like this.

Excuse me while I go jump up and down a little bit.

Yaaay!

less than a week to go!

Here is the official JACK goes to Canada blog by all four of the JACK girls, though I'll post here too.

Where I am most excited to go: Sibbald Point Provincial Park in Ontario and Glacier National Park in British Columbia
Why I think Canada is awesome: My ancestors hung out there for a few generations before moving to New Jersey
How I contribute to this excellent adventure: I'm pretty good with maps


We're tie-dying shirts in my kitchen sink right now, so I'm going to go help with that...

America is connected to Canada!

Last night, I woke with a start around midnight, and felt I really, really needed to reread a text message sent to me over the weekend.

Let me explain. A few of my good friends from college are currently driving across America, having left a few days after our graduation and getting home in another week and change. When I told them that the Canada trippers and I would be flying home from Seattle at the end of our journey, and they told me they'd be passing through Seattle, I suggested they leave me something.

I didn't think they'd follow through!

Sunday, I was at a loud show on the boardwalk with some friends, and slightly distracted, so I read the text from Jeremy, "Seattle. 2nd and Battery St. Bellino Coffee... Love, America." I thought it was just a really sweet here we are, thought we'd say hi type dealy.

Tuesday night, I read the following:
"Seattle. 2nd and Battery St. Bellino Coffee. Right bookcase, behind selected poems of Robert Browning. Object hidden. Love, America"


Just one more thing to be super excited about, even though Jamie, Amanda and Katie have never met the America boys, and Ross, Matt, Jeff and Jeremy have never met the Canada girls! Jamie and Katie and I have all graduated and come home and are waiting patiently for Amanda to graduate at the end of the month so we can finish our planning and embark on an excellent adventure!