SIDE NOTE

Just in case you were wondering... I have 10 days until I leave this country to have an adventure unlike anything I have experienced before. As the anticipation and excitement heightens, so do my nerves....

I would also like for everyone to checkout my dear friend Cary's blog. He is also in South Carolina with Suzanne and Laura learning to love and serve God better. I have been keeping up with his experiences, and reading about them is very inspiring.

T minus 11 days AND counting...

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

So I have 1 week until I leave for Starkville and then another 4 days until my flight takes off for Taiwan!! Until then, I am spending my days shopping, babysitting, lounging at the pool, and oh and did I mention shopping? I am also currently addicted to The Bachelorette and a new murder mystery show called Pretty Little Liars that I will have to find a way to watch while I am away!

Now that I am in my last week of being home until sometime in the fall semester, I am freaking out about getting everything ready. I feel like I have SO much to do and so little time. Not only do I have to get everything ready for my study abroad, I also have to have everything prepared for move in the day I return to the States since classes start August 18 and my flight returns on August 15! Before I go, I need new tires on my car and the brakes and oil checked. I need to buy plates, silverware, glasses, shower curtains, storage containers, floor mats, toothbrush holders, and everything that I will need to go into my apartment! It will be a crazy few days with getting settled into my apartment while dealing with jet lag. Oh and lets not forget about packing. What clothes am I supposed to bring to Taiwan? It will be hot and humid the whole time over there and it will rain a lot. BUT the people in Taiwan wear long sleeve shirts and pants during the summer so their skin won't get darker. My suitcase? Yeah, its big. And I have no doubts that it will be packed to capacity or my 50 pound weight limit which unfortunately I think will come first. I guess I will pack a few things (or way to many things in this case) and hope for the best.

A few things to pray for me this week are for my mom so that she can get enough information that she wants so that she feels more comfortable with me going, and for me that I can get everything together so that this last week and a half are not stressful. Also, I have to take a PT test for ROTC next Thursday morning in Starkville. This is a very important PT test that I NEED to do very well on and this is really my last chance to take it. Pray that I would be able to run with the ease and swiftness of a marathon runner. Lord knows I need it!

One last thing, I talked to my best friend Suzanne today for the first time in about a month. I haven't seen Suz since the end of May and I miss her dearly. She is the one trying to hit me in the picture above. Suzanne's got some sass that will knock your socks off. We have a very "special" and unique relationship, and without her, I would have a very large hole in my heart. Pray for Suz; she's working now at Wal-Mart instead of Wendy's in Myrtle Beach with Campus Outreach.

Last but not least is my other BFF Laura. One of the most genuine people that I know. She always looks for the good in people and is one of the best listeners that I know. This is the Laura face that Suz and I both know and love and have seen more than most. You may not be able to tell by this picture but she loves us back haha Pray for Laura too. She is also working at Wal-Mart, learning about how its all about serving.

Psalm 46:5

God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

ready.... set... HIKEEEEEE

SO... I know this blog is supposed to be all about my trip to Taiwan BUT I just have such an exciting life that I must tell everyone (or the person who happens to stumble along my blog at some point in time) all about it!

Today, I attended the Mississippi State Womans football clinic with amazing and beautiful Mrs. Rhonda and a new, sweet friend Sherry. It was the most fun I have had in a very long time. Let me first start by saying that my love for Mississippi State University has only grown stronger since the first time I set foot on campus and. I can't imagine being any place else for the next 4 years (I am in a 5 year major). What is the saying, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder"? If its not, we are just going to pretend like it is. This is the place that I have come to love and call my home after only one year of living here. I have been away from my new home for about 4 weeks. SIDE NOTE- Leaving college for the summer for the first time was a very hard thing to do. I had to leave my new favorite place in the world and I had to leave all of my new friends and come back to real life where there are small, annoying children, yard work to be done, and an excessive amount of "Yes, I go to Mississippi State and I am majoring in International Business and Chinese" must be said. So these have not only been a long four weeks, but an exceptionally long four weeks full of reality checks so that I might return to the real world at some point and become useful instead of my lackadaisical self. And lackadaisical is a word just for the record, meaning "1) without interest, vigor, or determination; lethargic; 2)lazy" which would describe my behavior thus far. Oh, and it is "Absense makes the heart grow fonder." This statement is true. I absolutely could not be more proud to be a Bulldog.

Well, anyways, this camp was full of women alum, both young and old, that was led by Head Coach Dan Mullen (that I added a picture of with the very attractive Tim Tebow after he won his Heisman just for kicks) and the rest of his coaching staff who are so full of energy , a love for the game and the school, and drive to win. We listened to the Defensive Coach and the Offensive Coach who demonstrated what the players on the field do and how they get all the players to know their plays since they are a No Huddle Offense. We learned how to properly throw and catch the ball, tackle, sack a quarterback (and I have grass burns to prove it!), dive into the end zone with the winning touchdown, and we participated in drills that the MSU football players have to execute every day. We listened to the coaches wives speak about their lives and about how they take care of the football players celebrate birthdays with them and become their second mommas while they are away from home. In addition to getting the inside scoop on plays and practice drills, we got to see the locker rooms, study rooms, weight rooms, and Game Day Locker Room. Not only did we get to do all that, we got to run onto the field through the smoke with Dan Mullen while the big jumbo-tron was on and they were playing loud music just as the players do before each game!! What an exciting day! I am already looking forward to next year's camp! And now I'm looking forward to the next football season so much that I can't even stand it!!

On a different note, I possibly have strep. Isn't that lovely. On an even better note, I'm going to the Zac Brown Concert on Friday with my good friend Erin, though, which makes for a very wonderful weekend, plus I am going to get to see my bff Cameron who is having a birthday on Monday and I won't be able to be there. I am just going to have to make it up to her!

I will leave you all with this verse- Psalm 46:5 "God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day."

Also, one last thought. Still missing the besties who are working at Wendy's and Wal-Mart in good 'ole Myrtle Beach, South Carolina working for the Lord. You go Suz and Laura! Love y'all!!! :) Laura, I hope you're working with some sweet old man who needs a sweet granddaughter figure in his life for the next few months because you are one of the most compassionate people I know (which is hard for others to believe considering your mad face that we see ever too often haha).

And Suz, can you say, "Is this for here or to go"? All I'm gonna say is.... "On da mic is a queen so listen to me sing she wanna three supa size onion rangss..." haha