A year ago, I published my first post on this site. It hasn’t grown much since then, because I was launched into one of the craziest years of my life, so crazy I couldn’t document it. So crazy that I literally just eat the same food day in and day out and that’s boring and I don’t have super creative recipes from that! 2018 was possibly the best year of my life. Sure, I felt like I was dying for most of it, but so many blessings happened, and God made so many dreams come true. I grew so much and became a much healthier person mentally and emotionally, if not physically. The beginning of the year was fairly normal. I had graduated, so I focused on not dying, working on CLEP tests, and running the house. I did a lot of volunteering for our local crisis pregnancy center and spent a lot of time on the ice. I was trying to decide on my college plans – that was the big question that got decided after I took care of a farm for two and a half weeks. It taught me that I was perfectly capable of being independent, and I was confident that I could finally fly the nest and pursue my own dreams. I got to fly to Unalakleet for the first time, a small oil village on the Bering Sea. It was beautiful, like something out of a book. The ocean was frozen for as far as you could see from shore. It was an experience! I also auditioned for Colorado Christian University's school of music, and was accepted. I worked at a local tourist attraction, Gold Dredge 8, and finally made my decision to attend Colorado Christian University at the beginning of the summer. I traveled by myself for the first time and attended the Young Christian Conservatives Leadership Conference in order to get another scholarship for CCU, made my first really good friend at CCU, and found the place that I would end up working for in September. At work, I got to spend a lot of time on outdoor ops, which was super fun. My favorite part of that was getting to crawl around inside this giant machine in the early morning and get it ready for guests to learn about our history here in Fairbanks. It was hard work, but I didn’t quite die, so that was a plus. My dear friend Courtney and her sister visited this summer, and it was so much fun to explore Alaska with them in the couple days in between work! We spent hours in the car singing together as we drove across the Denali Highway (with lots of little sidetrips for sightseeing and hiking) and drove to the Arctic Circle and back (again with random stops for hiking). Bible Bee this year was so different for me, because suddenly I was no longer a contestant, but a host and on the Alumni Service Team. I got to help other kids learn to love and learn Scripture like I have gotten to for the last nine years. A huge highlight of that was, of course, Nationals, because I got to spend time with inspiring young people (mostly the Primaries, ages 7-10) and was honestly floored by their handle on and love for God’s Word! Also, running around backstage and watching production happen was pretty cool, since that’s kind of where I’m heading with my life now. The fellowship at Nationals was very different this year, since I was on a small team of very busy people, so my fellowship was not as much with the whole group of people at Nationals, but more with a small group of staff. It was an amazing experience. I had to leave “my” camera behind, and then my parents left the organization that owns the camera, so I don’t have that anymore. That was kind of sad, but I was already ready to upgrade. Now there’s just about $3000 standing between me and more fun photography. That’s probably one of the reasons I haven’t been posting recipes as much – they’re not as fun when you can only take pictures on a sub-par phone camera. In August, my life had some crazy change. I moved out of my home, putting a whole country between myself and my old home, and began attending Colorado Christian University. That has been a completely new adventure. I thought that I was being taken to college for academics, but it turns out that the biggest lessons God had to teach me were about myself and about relationships. It took a little while, but I suddenly have good friends who live close at hand and I see on a regular basis. I haven’t had good friends nearby for over seven years, and it’s been nervewracking at times, but absolutely amazing. I knew how to run a house already, but there’s something very different about living in and running your own apartment and life, really. This is honestly something I would encourage other young people to do – experience living on your own for a while. It teaches you things about yourself and your way of living that you simply will not learn while living with your family. I grew so much as a musician, as well. I finally feel like I’m doing what God made me to do, and I’m loving it! I got to do several auditions, which I’ve never done before. I became the school’s only violist, playing in the main string ensemble and in the President’s String Quartet. I learned about dance and acting and got new experience in choreography in the stage movement and dance class. I got to finally learn a lot about sound systems and how to run them and run a live production. I learned two new instruments – cello and double bass – in my string techniques class. There’s something about being in a place where everyone is studying music together, cheering each other on, and striving to glorify God in what they’re doing. I’ve been pushed and learned so many skills as a musician, and most of that is because of the professors and other students and their influence on me. I got to be in my first major concerts, and took a class that really affirmed my decision to pursue music rather than some other of my options such as science. As an added bonus to the school year, I’m still alive. It’s been an incredible year, and while my health has been a struggle that I can’t even describe, God has taught me so much and allowed me to have so many experiences that I never expected. I hope and pray that this new year holds as much growth and joy as this past year has. L’Shana Tovah – to a good new year!
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Dani M
My mind is a strange place. I am a Christian first and foremost, but I'm also a musician and an artist. I love science and natural health. I love the ice and I love to dance. This page will contain as much randomness as myself. Archives
July 2019
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