“All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney

At a young age my generation was told to “dream big” “you can be anything you want to be” and “no dream is too large”.  But then we grow up, and we, our peers, and society, sees the risks of “dreaming big.”  The questions then start, “am I being responsible?”, “is it too risky?”  and “are my dreams obtainable?”.

Yesterday, two things really had me thinking about childhood dreams, one I will go into detail on.  A dream of 14 year old me, and probably many other mid-teenager, was fulfilled yesterday.  Approaching 16, and a driver’s licenses, teenagers get in their mind there “dream car”, and mine like many others was a mustang.  I knew at 16 I was not going to own a mustang, and that was fine.  I wasn’t unrealistic.  My cousin had on and took me for a ride, which was neat.  And my dad’s friend knew of my mustang dream.   Being the proud owner of a 1966 Black Mustang, he said he would take me for a ride, which would have been really neat, and I would not have asked for more.  Although driving it would have been way cooler, but that would have been scary and I knew I wouldn’t let a new driver drive it if I were him.  Well I never did get that ride, until….

Yesterday we went to a car cruise that I knew he would have the car at.  I asked him if I could sit in it and take a picture.  He stood up took the keys out of his pocket handed them to me, and said “take it for a ride”.  I was so excited but so nervous.  There were so many people around; I never drove anything without power breaks, or power steering.  How different would it be?  This car is his pride and joy.  He said don’t be nervous, “it is just a car” and sat back down.  Wasn’t anyone going with me?  I asked my dad, he said “Not my car”, so I asked the owner “umm you are coming right?”  He said only if you want me to, I did.  I drove through the car cruise, receiving many compliments, out onto the main road and back in.  It wasn’t a far ride.  But I had a huge smile on my face, the whole time.  He said “Next time I can take it farther, and faster.  Next time!!  There will be a next time.

A mustang might not still be my “dream car”, but it was a dream fulfilled.  It wasn’t a dream that I had to work towards, or give up anything for.  It was just something I had to patiently wait for, and was graciously offered to me.  It wasn’t a life changing dream, or one that I had to pursue, but it did come true.  Thanks “Uncle” Ricky!!

The other story isn’t my dream or my place to share the details of.  But some dreams, take a lot to pursue them, a lot of chasing, sacrifice and risk taking.  These dreams tend to be the ones that people question, can make ourselves question, and can carry some scary risks.  But I guess I just want to encourage you if you have a dream like this, chase it, and don’t give up on it.  God goes with us and He has a plan in it.  Don’t let anyone hold you back.  If the Lord put it in your heart to do it, He will be with you along the way.  Also if you know someone with a dream this big, support them, encourage them, help them to think it through, but just because you aren’t a risk taker, don’t discourage their dreams

First Running Play List

I don’t think I broke it to you yet, but I am training for another half marathon.  I didn’t commit to doing it yet, I think I will, but so far I am training for it.  This one may be very different than my first one, my only one thus far, for three reasons.  1.)  It will be hilly.  2.) I may not have Brianna by my side the whole way (her mom is due with a baby the same weekend as the race).  3.)  Therefore I will need music.  It is fairly common for me to listen to music while I run, unless I am with someone, so nothing new there.  But that is really far to not have my “running buddy” to chat with, whine to, and motivate each other.  So I will definitely need good music.  For most runs I just turn on Pandora radio and switch it up from “AC/DC”, “One Direction”, “Avenge Sevenfold”, “TobyMac” to “Pit Bull”, it all depends on my mood to know what will carry me through a run.

Different music has proven to affect my run differently.  Let’s just say that “AC/DC” is fast, and not an obtainable pace for more than 3ish miles.  “One Direction” is fun but not super motivating.  “Avenge Sevenfold” some songs I can’t stand, but they sing “Dear God” and that is my 2^nd favorite running song.  “TobyMac” helps me to praise God in my running, but sometimes I get tired of that type of chanting music.    And “Pitbull” radio is fun, fast paced; a good beat but really lacks morals.  I have never made a running play list before because I just depend on Pandora but there is a good chance I will not have cell service for this race.  So I need to make a play list, downloaded on my phone that will get me through the run.  I am open for suggests but I am trying to think through what songs will be best and know at what time what song will motivate me best.

1. Hey Brother – Avicii
2. Wake Me Up Inside – Evanesence
3. Fancy – Iggy Azaela
4. Whistle – Flo Rider
5. Only Your Love – Kari Jobe
6. What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction
7. Black Betty – Ram Jam
8. I’m the Man – Aloe Blacc
9. Crazy Train – Ozzy
10. Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
11. Alive – Hillsong Young and Free
12. Timber – Pittbull
13. Dear God – Avenge Sevenfold (good mid- way focus song)
14. Live Life Out Loud –Hawk Nelson
15. Mean Disposition – The Rolling Stones
16. Next to Me – Emeli Sande
17. Don’t Fail Me Now – Melanie Amaro
18. Thunderstruck – AC/DC
19. Pain – Jimmy Eats World
20. Steal My Show – TobyMac
21. Enter Sandman – Metallica
22. I Believe – Hill Song
23. Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner – Iron Maiden
24. Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC (Finished the New Moon Half with; and that song still gives me endorphins!)

I still need some…. Help me out!!

Advice for College

College students are starting to go back, and this is the second year that I am not making the return to college, as a graduate.  Do I claim to be an expert?  No.  But I have been there, done that.  In fact, I did college orientation twice (since I was a transfer student), so I guess I have some experience and advice to share.  Your experience will be different than my, so take it as you will, and make of it what you want.

Dear New Student (Freshman, or Transfer),

First off, you will be experiencing so many emotions, (excitement, fear, pride, anxiousness, curiosity) and that is okay.  Take a deep breath.  When you get there, take a look around, there will be tons of people there (which may lead to more fear or more excitement depending on who you are) but they are experiencing the exact same thing you are, and the same emotions.  You are all on the same boats.

My first word of caution on that, when you are looking around at this sea of people and you see a large group that already seem like best of friends, don’t worry, good chance that they are on a sports team and just spent a ton of time together in the last week or two at camp.  Take that as an example that you can and will make friendships within the first few weeks.

Your first week of orientation will be every tiring.  They keep you very busy, doing all new things and meeting all new people.  It is designed like that for a reason.  They want you to get to know your new surroundings and all the people that you will spend the next four years with.  Also I was thankful for this.  By the time my head hit the pillow at night, I didn’t lay there wondering how in the world I was supposed to sleep in a strange room, with a girl I just meet, with all these emotions running through me.  My head hit the pillow and I was out.

Chances are you will get broken into a small group, either by major, transfer group, or sports team.  Get to know these people and be yourself.  You will be forced to speed the first few days with them, and chances are you will have classes with them.  Don’t hide your true self.  You are all coming together from different places, different interests and all different people.  But get to know them, you might have more in common with them than you think and you may end up being better friends with these people than you would imagine.  My closest group from college (my second college) is the group I transferred in with.

Second piece of advice, some things are optional.  If you aren’t doing anything better, and sleeping doesn’t count, go!  They are usually at least remotely fun, a chance to meet more people and someone is paying for it and that person is you, through your tuition.

Third, is once class starts get in a routine.  There will still be so much newest, all the upper classman will be coming back.  The dining hall will be a bustle.  The gym packed.  The sidewalks crowded.  Why?  I don’t know, but it doesn’t last.  Give it a few weeks, things will greatly slow down.  Wait til the snow and you will hardly see a person, at times.    Do not wait for it to start slowing down.  Get out there, and join the crowd.  Get to the gym, get a dinner time established, join groups, and attend a church.  Meet people and get involved.

Fourth, if you need help with anything.  Get it!  With class, with roommate issues, with homesickness, with any illness.  You are paying good money to be there, you are not forced to be there, make the experience good on yourself.

Fifth, you will change as a person.  You are entering college at 18 you are leaving college at 22.  Two close friends of have four year differences than me, one is four years older and one is four years younger.  We are all in slightly different phases of life, and have had different experience to shape us.  That is to say be true to who you are, hold fast to your morals, but be moldable.  You are there to learn and grown, so do that.  Also I went into one college with one major, saying that I wouldn’t not change.  I was wrong, year later, new college, new major.  It happens, be open to it.

Biggest take a ways:  you are paying good money to be there, do what you are there for, work hard in your classes, get good grades, make new friends, and have some fun!

Cliffs of Moher

It has been around 4 months since we have been to Ireland and in some ways it seem so much longer ago than it was.  Maybe it is because so many other people have been having “summer vacations” since then.  I am not sure that Ireland could count as a “summer” vacation, since we wore denim, down, and wool the whole trip (not cotton, nylon, and swimsuits).  I think back to Ireland often, and I plan to return someday.  Yesterday a coworker was asking about it, since his wife wants to go there.  Which had me reminiscing on the trip and it reminded me that I told you that I will share more snippets of the trip, back when I told about A Simple Place: Lahinich.  I told you that I would tell you more about that day.  That afternoon we went to the Cliffs of Moher.

Lahinich was a simple place, the Cliffs of Moher, only a few miles away was not a simple place, they were astounding.  Pictures do not do it justice.  I am actually kind of at a lost for how to describe it.  The tourism site describes it as “Standing 214m (702 feet) at their highest point they stretch for 8 kilometres (5 miles) along the Atlantic coast of County Clare in the west of Ireland. From the Cliffs of Moher on a clear day one can see the Aran Islands and Galway Bay, as well as the Twelve Pins and the Maum Turk mountains in Connemara, Loop Head to the south and the Dingle Peninsula and Blasket Islands in Kerry. O’Brien’s Tower stands near the highest point and has served as a viewing point for visitors for hundreds of years.”  We did have a really clear day, it was the best weather we had all week, but I can’t honestly say that I noticed the Aran Islands, Galway Bay,  Twelve Turk mountains, Dingle or Blasket Islands (maybe I just didn’t know what I was looking at).  But I did feel like you could see “forever”, even so much that you could see the curvature of the earth.

From what I can figure Dakota and I walked about 9 km (about 5.5 miles) we went farther to Liscannor and then back and then a short ways towards the town of Doolin.  Where we saw a sign that Dooling was only 9.4 km away, we decided when we came back that we should hike from the Cliffs to Doolin and back so around 10 miles.  This would take the majority of a day, involving packed water and snacks, which we didn’t have that day.

If you are going to Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher, are a must see.  It is crazy how much higher than the ocean you are when you are on the cliffs, but there are spring feed puddles up on the cliffs and water flowing out of the cliffs. There are hazard signs everywhere that the cliffs can crumble also there is nothing that separates you from the edge of the cliffs, so you have to use common sense.  At the same time I know that there were risks involved in getting near the edge or going to the high points, but what is the point of living if you aren’t living “life on the edge once in awhile.”

Fall can wait.

I need to at first let you know that I have nothing against fall.  In fact, I like fall for sweaters, boots, pumpkin, coffee, cinnamon, Thanksgiving, scarves, brisk air, etc.  But what I don’t like is when people rush fall to get here.  Please stop!  All you are doing is rushing summer away, and that, in my humble opinion, is a crime.  Summer is just too lovely too push out the door so hap-hazardly.  I agree sometime it is just too hot and too sticky, believe me I do, I live in a house without air conditioning.  But there are so many wonderful things about summer that I can forgive the hot, sticky mess that it can be.

• Food:
  • So much cooked on the grill
  • Fresh vegetables from the garden
  • Fresh peaches from the orchard
  • Popsicles (which I did slow down on, in order to not become diabetic)
  • Eating at least 1/3^rd of meals outside
  • Finding berries
• Activities:
  • Running
  • Biking
  • Walking
  • Kayaking
  • Swimming
  • Hammock Reading/Napping
  • Hiking
  • Frisbee
• Randomness:
  • A messier house (due to running shoes, beach towels, life jackets, etc.)
  • Sunsets
  • Lazy dogs
  • Drinking tons of water
  • Watching water, lakes, oceans, one of my favorite views
  • Mountains, my other favorite
  • Never caring when I have wet hair
  • Longer days

So I do agree that we can look forward to fall, but tread carefully winter is quick to follow fall.  Enjoy summer while we have it.