Winding down, down, down

I cannot believe it's now my turn to do the whole "Last" cycle: last exam, last day of school, last Elevation, last (insert sentimental moment here).
For years I've watched senior class after senior class graduate and move on with their lives. They've said goodbyes, had some hugs, yaddah yaddah. It's never fun to watch a friend leave but trust me... it's harder to be the one leaving.
Mind you, I've got a little over three months left before I move in at Miami. So it's not like I have to say goodbye to all of you. There's time. There's plenty of experiences left to share.
I also feel totally lacking in the "nugget of wisdom" department. I have no profound words to impart to other people. I have loved virtually every second of high school, and I will always remember Mariemont.
Anyway, as the SENIOR ROAST approaches at VI, remember. DON'T say anything too embarrassing, and remember that I WILL come back when you're a senior and roast you.

As always....
Live big, stay classy.

WARNING: road ahead unclear, uncontrollable

So, I know this is said a lot... but it turns out God's plan really ISN'T what we think it is.
I'm the kind of person who likes to know what's going to happen. I hate seeing movies if I can't recognize any of the actors or don't know whhat the plot is going to be about. I don't just start a project and figure it out as I go along. I like to know where I'm headed before I begin.
So you can imagine my frustration when God throws me a few curve balls.
I think the saddest thing about the last two weeks in my life is that it shows just how much I take God's blessings for granted.
Two weeks ago as of tomorrow, on the 18th, a fire broke out in my house. Long story short our toaster malfunctioned and wound up burning down our kitchen and destroying most of our house with smoke damage. Since then, I've stayed 11 nights in 2 hotels, eaten no more than 2 home-cooked meals, and cycled through the 3 pants and 6 shirts which I still have (the rest were taken to a special smoke-restoration dry cleaner).
Meanwhile, it's college admittance season. I had already heard back from four of my colleges (read below) months ago. I was waiting on three. Out of them, I got wait-listed at two and rejected by one. Mind you, these were my top three choices of schools.
So right now I'm camped out in the house next door to mine (it was for rent, conveniently), sufficiently bummed out that I have a burned-up smoky house and disappointment from my colleges of choice.
The funny thing is, dozens of people have told me recently that "God has a plan" or that He "works in mysterious ways." And I believe them.
I'm not saying that God divinely intervened and got me rejected/waitlisted at the schools I wanted. I'm not saying that he lit my toaster and took out a good chunk of my house with his firebolts. But maybe there's something to learn from adapting to adverse circumstances, or from going somewhere unexpected (for those of you who are interested, I think I'll be at Indiana University next year studying Journalism).
I wish I could tie this all up and tell you what I've gotten out of my frustration, disappointment, and misfortune. Truth is, I haven't figured it out yet. I don't know what God is trying to tell me right now. And frankly, it sucks to feel both displaced and inadequate at the same time (usually I experience one or the other, seldom simultaneously). But I'm not going to let it destroy the good things in my life.
I'll check back in with you later. Chins up, kids.
Live big, stay classy.

The classic College post / 50th post

50 posts as of today! YAY!
Ok, so since I pretty much get asked this question every day by friends, teachers, relatives, people in the grocery store... HERE's where I stand with college for next year.
I have been accepted at these schools-
Miami U. (OH)
Indiana U. Bloomington- Direct admit to Journalism school
Asbury U. (Kentucky)
Tulane U. (New Orleans, LA)

I have yet to hear from these schools, and will get my letter April 1st-ish.
The College of William & Mary (in Williamsburg, VA)
Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)
Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC)

Fingers crossed for my acceptance- these three are my top choices, but aren't necessarily in the order of how much I want to go there. Keep me in your prayers.

Live big, stay classy!

Be Prepared

In honor of next weekend's Ski Trip (last I checked there are still some spots open, sign up ASAP), I want to give you a few recommendations for items to pack that you might not expect.

For instance, get yourself a nice pair of these Noise-Cancelling headphones. Estimated time of arrival at our lodge in Michigan is usually about 2AM. And trust me, when you're on a bus with people like Laura Slon, Angie Bell, Katie Keiser, and Hannah Mauk... you'll appreciate silence. A lot. Especially if you want to get any sleep (wake-up call the next day is EARLY).

Once we get to the lodge and the slopes, I'm always shocked by just how COLD it is. My first year on ski trip, it was so cold that one of our two buses had a frozen engine and would not start. So dress warmly, like the kid from "A Christmas Story." Just make sure your arms can still move in all those coats.

And anyone who has been on a ski trip can tell you that there's a pretty good chance that someone will get hurt (we're not going to names, I'm just going to say that I've spent some time with ice packs on these trips). Bringing along some crutches can't hurt. Hitting trees can.

I'll see you guys Wednesday. And again Friday. PS, Welcome Stephanie Allen to the VI Band, which we can no longer call a boy band.

Live big, stay classy and SAFE.

Happy Holidays

So I hope everyone has had a lovely break thus far. I know mine has been quite enjoyable. I've spent time with pretty much all of my friends, seen some decent movies, eaten a LOT of food, embarrassed myself at ice-skating, and exchanged some pretty sweet gifts.

There's really not a whole lot else I can say in this blog except that I'm excited for:
-the upcoming Ski Retreat
-(hopefully) acceptance letters from college in a couple months
-my last exams in high school
-turning 18 tomorrow
-the NFL playoffs (go Packers)

That's all for now.

Live big, stay classy.

Christmas

There is snow. On the ground. Outside my house. In Cincinnati.
Inspiring me to share my LOVE of the winter/holiday season. I'd take a day like today over any hot, humid summer day.

Here's a list of reasons I love Christmas:
-Family/Friends. Everyone comes home from college, family from out of town appears and we all get to catch up on what's happened since last year. I sometimes wonder if THESE are the moments that are most real, and we get to live our perfect lives for one week at a time, and then pause it all until the next year when everyone gets to be together again.
-Snow. There's something almost poetic about a white lawn, iced-over trees, and that amazing way snow piles up on windowpanes and Christmas wreaths. It's beautiful, and I'm not being sarcastic.
-Strangers. Have you ever noticed that when you walk around your neighborhood, or go downtown, instead of merely passing by indifferently, nearly EVERYONE you see wishes you a merry Christmas? It's like for a brief period each year, people really do care enough to at least notice each other. It's better than nothing.
-Music. All time favorite song: "Christmas Time is Here" from the Charlie Brown movie. Maybe it's somber, maybe I'm cliche.... but that song is so festive even in its slow, jazzy way. I even love the cheesey remakes of classic Christmas songs that you hear in department stores as you shop for gifts.
-The service. For some reason, I'm more enthralled in the Christmas Eve service at Armstrong more than any other service all year. Something about the lighting, the spirit within everyone there, the joy... it really opens my heart to what God is saying. It's a tradition in my family to go to @ least one of the Christmas Eve services.
-Decorations. OK, so this one ventures into the secularization and commercialization or whatever... but I still love it. I love driving slowly through Terrace Park this time of year to see all the houses decked out. Garland wrapped around fenceposts. Candles lighting up each window. Christmas tree prominently displayed in the front window. The occassional reindeer and Santa.

I may add to this later.
Merry Christmas to all.
Stay classy, live big.

Clique 6

The above title refers to the ever-growing "boy band" at VI. At some point this summer, we dubbed the band "Clique 5" as a joke, since we had 5 band members and the group "Click 5" was still kind of not obsolete. Kinda sorta... ok they were already obsolete.
Anyway, if you missed VI this week, you missed a big one. Not only was there a decent crowd and lots of energy, but we debuted 2 new band members. Alex Sneider joined Dustin at the mic, and Sam Franer helped me out with some backup guitar. These guys were incredible. They sort of just melted right into rehearsal, and adapted really well to everything we threw at them. And of course there was the worship set last night, where I think everyone on stage but Phil wound up jumping along to.
Anyway, be sure to congratulate Alex and Sam on an awesome set and, more importantly, on becoming a part of our worship team and helping make sure that next year when Trey and I graduate and Phil gets hitched, there's still a band around. Alex and Sam, you guys rock.
The band isn't done growing yet. We're always looking for new talent- bass guitar, electric, singing, cello, pretty much whatever you can throw at us (and no, it does not HAVE to be a boy band- we welcome ladies t00).
God bless guys!
Live big, stay classy.

PS- This Christmas, be looking forward to some carols courtesy of the VI band.